CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: "We want more cycle lanes" (poetry)

CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: "We want more cycle lanes" (poetry) http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: "We want more cycle lanes" (poetry) en Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:32 +0000 fimm on ""We want more cycle lanes" (poetry)" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8158#post-81083 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 09:23:44 +0000 fimm 81083@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Half the time I can't be bothered to click on links, so here it is... "Translating the British, 2012. By Carol Ann Duffy. A summer of rain, then a gap in the clouds and The Queen jumped from the sky to the cheering crowds. We speak Shakespeare here, a hundred tongues, one-voiced; the moon bronze or silver, sun gold, from Cardiff to Edinburgh by way of London Town, on the Giant's Causeway; we say we want to be who we truly are, now, we roar it. Welcome to us. We've had our pockets picked, the soft, white hands of bankers, bold as brass, filching our gold, our silver; we want it back. We are Mo Farah lifting the 10,000 metres gold. We want new running-tracks in his name. For Jessica Ennis, the same; for the Brownlee brothers, Rutherford, Ohuruogu, Whitlock, Tweddle, for every medal earned, we want school playing-fields returned. Enough of the soundbite abstract nouns, austerity, policy, legacy, of tightening metaphorical belts; we got on our real bikes, for we are Bradley Wiggins, side-burned, Mod, god; we are Sir Chris Hoy, Laura Trott, Victoria Pendleton, Kenny, Hindes, Clancy, Burke, Kennaugh and Geraint Thomas, Olympian names. We want more cycle lanes. Or we saddled our steed, or we paddled our own canoe, or we rowed in an eight or a four or a two; our names, Glover and Stanning; Baillie and Stott; Adlington, Ainslie, Wilson, Murray, Valegro (Dujardin's horse). We saw what we did. We are Nicola Adams and Jade Jones, bring on the fighting kids. We sense new weather. We are on our marks. We are all in this together." I like it, but it isn't just about cycle lanes. (Edited to add that I also like Instography's response.) sallyhinch on ""We want more cycle lanes" (poetry)" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8158#post-81046 Sun, 12 Aug 2012 10:07:03 +0000 sallyhinch 81046@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Sorry, I meant I love the sentiment (the more cycle lanes bit), but even without it I'd like the poem! Instography on ""We want more cycle lanes" (poetry)" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8158#post-81044 Sun, 12 Aug 2012 01:11:30 +0000 Instography 81044@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ What is it you don't like about the sentiment? sallyhinch on ""We want more cycle lanes" (poetry)" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8158#post-81026 Sat, 11 Aug 2012 18:37:54 +0000 sallyhinch 81026@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Needs to be read aloud. The sentiment aside, it's brilliant Instography on ""We want more cycle lanes" (poetry)" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8158#post-81025 Sat, 11 Aug 2012 16:19:47 +0000 Instography 81025@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I'm not normally into poetry Can't really see the point Of writing rhymes in broken lines With deliberate Disjoint But maybe it was the cycling And words I understood That encouraged me to read this poem And think it pretty Good chdot on ""We want more cycle lanes" (poetry)" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8158#post-81016 Sat, 11 Aug 2012 08:53:48 +0000 chdot 81016@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/aug/10/carol-ann-duffy-olympics-london" rel="nofollow">http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/aug/10/carol-ann-duffy-olympics-london</a>